Day: January 7, 2016

Join us for a month of #makingMath! A whole month of free activities brought to you by the Alameda County Office of Education Core Learning Math and Technology team to promote Making in the Math Classroom.

In our Make and Take series, educators will work on a specific, standards-aligned project to take back to their classroom. They will leave with a better understanding of how making can be embedded into the classroom, and construct a whole new meaning from the phrase: “use appropriate tools strategically.”

Thursday March 3rd is the Make and Take: Gravity Car workshop, participants will make a “gravity car” using simple tools, recycled materials, and just plain tinkering. They will struggle with the question: “What math can my students learn by making a gravity car?”

Participants will:

Experience making a gravity car using various materials and mathematics

Plan a MakingMath gravity cars lesson/project to take back to their classroom

Thursday March 10th is the Make and Take: PVC Flute workshop, participants will make a flute using simple tools, PVC pipe, and math. They will struggle with the question: “What Math Can Your Students Learn by Making an Instrument?”.

Participants will:

Build a PVC flute using mathematics and simple tools

Explore ways math can be applied to designing and building musical instruments

Plan a MakingMath instruments lesson/project to take back to the classroom

Leave with a better understanding of how making can be embedded into the classroom

Finally, on Saturday March 12, come get inspired at our Making Math Expo where educators from around the Bay Area will we showing off their #makingMath projects at Lighthouse Community Charter School in Oakland. This is a day dedicated to the fun and exciting world of Problem Solving, where students, teachers, and parents will have various opportunities to apply their math and problem-solving skills. Come experience an assortment of non-traditional problems that will work your thinking muscles, and understand why the Mathematical Practices must be an integral part of every math classroom. All participants will leave with strategies and tools to improve student problem-solving abilities.

The Alameda County Office of Education has put together this short promo video about our Core Coaching Network highlighting the work we do to support instructional coaches around the county.

The Core Coaching Network meets once a month to help instructional leaders at the district and site level advance the design and delivery of their own professional development. Network attendees learn to use the latest technology tools to support Common Core instruction and 21st century curriculum. They learn about and share best practices around adult learning, how to align tasks to assessments like SBAC, and how to facilitate the transformation of systems at their schools.

By building a strong and supportive community, the Core Coaching Network brings the expertise of colleagues from neighboring districts into one space in order for them to share their knowledge and challenges, extend their professional network, and deepen their understanding of Common Core content knowledge.